She's Through With
by Du Silbena Datia
Summary: Rachel's tired of being picked on. She's tired of the slushies. She's tired of feeling worthless. She finally decides that she must stand up for herself if she ever wants it to stop.
1. The Incessant Teasing

**A/N: Quite honestly, I have no idea where this came from. I guess I am just sad that Rachel never seems to stick up for herself. She really doesn't deserve what the others do to her. Hope you enjoy, and remember: reviews = love!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.**

...The Incessant Teasing.

"One, two, step ball change!" Mr. Schuester chanted as he coached the Glee Club through their newest choreography. Everyone was performing flawlessly-well Finn tripped over his feet a couple times but that was nothing new. Rachel's heart ached as he stumbled slightly and then laughed good naturedly with Santana. _She_ was supposed to be the one running her fingers through his hair, not the Cheerio. Did he have to be that cruel though? Did he have to flirt with the Latina right in front of her?

Mr. Schuester spotted Mrs. Pillsbury-Howell outside the choir room, and mumbling an excuse he exited the room to chase after her. Rachel huffed and rolled her eyes. She couldn't understand how people called her desperate and pathetic after watching him.

The group dispersed to their chairs in the room, and Rachel took a seat in the back corner, furthest away from the club. She had never been close with any of them, but now that she and Finn had broken up, no one even bothered pretending they liked her. She sighed and plopped in her chair, pulling out the laptop she had taken to carrying with her. She just had to know how the traffic on her Myspace page was, and it didn't hurt to stay up to date on the latest news from Broadway. Rachel signed onto Myspace eagerly, hoping desperately that some agent had discovered her page and sent her a message, simply begging her to sign with him.

Rachel beamed as comments flooded the screen, all for her latest video. In a moment of hopelessness, she had covered Adele's "I'll Be Waiting." If anyone who knew her had watched it, they would know it was a message to Finn, just in case he ever stumbled across it. She had almost been embarrassed to put it up, but it really was an amazing performance if she did say so herself. And when had Rachel Berry ever let heartbreak get in the way of a spectacular performance? She didn't-in fact, some of her best work came from experiencing the emotional distress she had been put through. So she was feeling pretty good about her reviews, until she saw that every single one was from the Cheerios.

Heart in her throat, Rachel read through the comments on the video she had worked so hard on. Everything was telling her she was talent-less, worthless, ugly, a freak, and one even suggested a place she could get a nose job, stating that it would be doing everyone a favour. Tears threatened to overtake her, and Rachel willed herself not to cry. Stars did not break down in the public eye. They stayed strong and let everyone know that they could take anything the world threw at them. Rachel glanced through the names of the people who posted them and realised that most of them were from Santana, and suddenly she wasn't tearing up from hurt anymore, but from anger. How dare she continue to torment Rachel after ruining the best relationship she ever had? How dare she get the entire cheerleading squad to back her in her endeavors? Personal feelings aside, they were supposed to be a team, and team members would not supposed to bully each other.

A crash resounded from Rachel's corner of the room. The entire Glee Club whipped around to see the cause of the commotion. Rachel had stood, and her laptop had fallen when she did so and she had kicked her chair over as she took to her feet. She betrayed no emotion, face set in a steely gaze and jaw clenched as she stared down the girl sitting in the front row.

Santana raised an eyebrow in a detached interest as Rachel snatched the laptop off the ground and marched to stand in front of her. Shoving the laptop under Santana's nose, Rachel ground out between clenched teeth, "What is this?"

The Cheerio looked bored as she glanced at the screen in front of her. "You doing a shit rendition of Adele," she quipped, and she smirked as the other girls tittered and a couple of the guys stifled chuckles. Rachel flushed. No matter what anyone had ever said about her, no one had ever told her straight to her face that she was talent-less. And it hurt more than she ever let on. For so long everyone had done things to beat her self esteem down until she truly believed that the only good thing about her was her voice. And now they were trying to take that away from her. As Rachel tried to form something coherent to say, the laughs crescendo-ed around her until they consumed her, and she looked desperately to those who weren't joining in on the cruel taunts. She looked to Artie, who averted his eyes and wheeled his chair so he wasn't facing her. She looked to Mike, who looked back with sad eyes but made no move to stop his girlfriend's laughter. And finally she looked to Finn, pleading for him to say something. For once, say something against the people who tormented her. But while he didn't join in, he gazed back steadily at her, emotionless and uncaring. She didn't see the sadness in his eyes.

Rachel turned away from Finn bitterly and looked back to his new girlfriend. Her smirk had grown wider than ever. And suddenly, Rachel had enough. She had enough of the teasing, enough of the slushies, and enough of letting it get to her and bottling it up inside. She was done.

"Fine," she said bitingly, cutting off everyone's laughter. "Fine," she repeated, stalking back to her chair and gathering her bag. "I'm done with you. I'm done with Glee club," she announced, and this time it was her turn to smirk in triumph as several gasps resounded throughout the room. "You think I'm so talent-less?" she asked, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Then have fun losing at Regionals. Because without me, you're going nowhere."

"She's not serious," Quinn said laughing at everyone's stunned reaction. "Yentl knows she's nothing without us. Hell, she's barely anything with us. She's not going anywhere." Rachel felt her blood boil in fury as the atmosphere changed from tense to relaxed. They all thought Quinn was right. She didn't know who she was angrier at, Quinn for assuming things, the rest of the club for believing her, or herself for making them think Quinn was right. Because she had never done anything to stand up for herself, never done anything to make them think that she would walk away from Glee, not because she wanted more solos, but because she was sick of the pain they routinely caused her. Rachel whirled back around and planted her hands on her hips, making eye contact with every single one of them sitting before her.

"I'm not coming back, and don't you dare think otherwise," she said in a low voice, and once again the shocked faces were back. "What you may or may not realise is that every little comment you make _hurts_ me. Every time you joke around, calling me Yentl, or Man Hands, or Treasure Trail-it all hurts. Just because I don't show it doesn't mean that the pain still isn't there. And it hurts even worse because we're supposed to be a family. We're supposed to be special, because being a part of something special makes you special. But you know what? The only special any of you have made me feel is the kind that belongs in a mental hospital!"

Rachel was breathing heavily. She had finally done it. She had finally stood up to them, and it felt _exhilarating. _Why had she never tried this before?

"Rach," Mercedes started hesitantly. "Rach, no one means any of that. We're just joking." She pauses, and then plows on, "We need you Rachel."

Santana mutters "I'm not," under her breath, but the only reason Rachel even knew that is because she could read lips. She didn't even think Finn could hear her.

"You need me?" she barked out a short laugh. "Where is that attitude when I'm the one getting the solos? Either you need me or you don't, and I think you've made your views on that perfectly clear."

The choir room was dead silent. No one moved a muscle, and no one tried to contradict her. "That's what I thought," Rachel said, hiking her bag over her shoulder and turning for the door.

"Rachel." A soft voice spoke behind her, and the brunette glanced over her shoulder to see Artie wheeling towards her. "Please stay Rachel."

She shook her head, lifted her chin, and marched out without looking back.

No one talked.

No one moved.

Mr. Schuester walked back into the room, grinning from ear to ear after his chat with Mrs. Pillsbury-Howell.

"Hey guys!" he grinned. "Sorry about that."

He took in the sight of the kids before him, and read their expressions.

He counted the kids, twice, and the smile slid off his face.

"Where's Rachel?"


	2. Feeling Worthless

**A/N: Wow, such an overwhelming response! And in such a short time! I never expected that response in one short night, and I want to thank everyone for reading. Hope I don't disappoint!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

…Feeling Worthless

Rachel flung the door of the choir room open and strutted out into the halls. Her chin was held high and she looked so confident, even more so then usual, and for once no one dared slushie her. They couldn't, because while Rachel Berry had always been confident, she had never once exhibited the raw fearlessness she did then.

She couldn't believe that she had never done that, never stood up for herself like that before. It had been the most thrilling experience of her life, and she regretted not having done so before. It was high time that New Directions caught a glimpse of the real diva Rachel Berry could be, because obviously her storm outs had no previous affect on them. She took pride in the fact that this one had left them speechless.

Rachel was so caught up in her overwhelming sense of happiness that she ran smack into a dark haired figure in heels. She stumbled and almost fell backwards, but an arm darted out to catch her before she could fall on her bottom. Rachel smoothed out her skirt and looked up to thank the person and apologize for running into them, and suddenly she was looking up into the wide eyes of one Shelby Corcoran. Her mother.

Both their breaths caught. Neither had made any move to contact they other after the previous year's Regionals, and Rachel hated to admit it but even after all that time Shelby's rejection still stung. After a moment Shelby cleared her throat and dropped Rachel's arm, and they both looked away awkwardly.

"Rachel," Shelby managed with a small smile.

"Shelby," Rachel returned with a stiff nod. She couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that her mother was actually standing in her school, and any self-confidence she had possessed a minute ago was gone, and she ducked her head, feeling like a small child about to be reprimanded.

"So…it's been a while," Shelby tries. It was plain on her face that she did not want to be in that situation. She didn't want to be talking to her daughter, and that tore at Rachel.

"A year," she agrees. _Another year that you've missed, _she thought bitterly. "How have you been?" No matter how awkward and bad the conversation was, Rachel still felt an unexplainable need to try. She needed to know that she had tried, that this lack of a mother wasn't her fault. Anything to know that the blame could be placed on someone else.

Shelby nodded. "A year," she sighed, and something like wistful nostalgia shone in her eyes. After another moment she asked softly, "How have you been Rachel?"

Rachel shrugged. "I've been fine," she answered, not elaborating. _Do you want to know the truth?_ she thought. _Do you want to know that I've been dying inside because everyone here hates me and teases me and makes me feel worthless? Do you want to know that having a mom could have fixed all of that?_ It's almost a mental plea, a desperate cry for help, because no matter how could Rachel had been feeling about walking out on New Directions, the sudden reappearance of her mother brought back every bad feeling she had felt. Somehow, the idea of Shelby asking, taking an interest, seemed like it could change everything.

But Shelby didn't ask. Instead, she just grinned and said, "That's great Rachel. Well, listen I've really got to be going. I have a couple people I need to talk to…"

"Wait!" Rachel blurted. "Where are you going? Why are you at McKinley?"

Shelby just smiled vaguely and responded, "I have to go to the choir room. Quinn and Noah wanted to speak with me. Actually I think this is more Noah's doing and that Quinn is being dragged along for the ride, but nevertheless I got a call about visitation rights so here I am…" she trailed off absentmindedly.

Rachel froze. Visitation rights? Noah and Quinn? That could only mean one thing…but why had no one ever bothered to tell her? She licked her suddenly dry lips before asking timidly, "Visitation rights?

A short nod confirmed what Rachel had been dreading, and another small piece of her world shattered around her. "That's right. Noah wanted to know when he could visit Beth, especially since her birthday is coming up." Shelby smiled at Rachel and squeezed her shoulder lightly. "It was nice talking to you Rachel. I'll see you around?" And without waiting for an answer, she turned around and clacked down the hall before disappearing into the choir room.

Rachel stood unmoving in the center of the hallway, a look of horror crossing her features. She wanted to sink into a hole. Shelby had adopted Beth. Shelby had adopted Beth, and no one bothered to tell Rachel that she had a step-sister. She was devastated. Not only had she sort of had a sibling that no one wanted to tell her of, but her mom—no, her mother—had moved on. She had been so enamored with the idea of having a daughter, but as soon as she found out it was Rachel that dream had been crushed. She didn't even take the time to get to know her daughter. Once again she was dismissed from people's minds before they had a chance to learn who she really was. And if that wasn't heartbreaking enough, Shelby had to go adopt her classmates' daughter behind her back. How much could someone take before their feeling of self worth was completely spent?

Rachel made her dejected way to her locker and opened it, good mood entirely shot. She reached in and pulled out the keepsake she kept at the back. It was the gold star goblet her mother had given her last year, and staring at it Rachel couldn't help but be reminded of how much they had in common. She also couldn't help but remember that Shelby had never been around. What right did she have to ask Rachel to keep this?

The longer she stared at it, the angrier she became, and once again she didn't know who she was mad at. Was it Shelby, the woman who had abandoned her? Was it her fathers, for making Shelby sign that stupid contract? Or again, was it herself? Was it because she let herself believe that she could actually work out a relationship with her mother?

No. She was done with taking the blame. She was done with allowing herself to be stepped on, done with feeling as worthless as she did then.

A crash rang through the hallway, and the doors to classrooms banged open as everyone rushed out to search for the cause to the commotion. Some of the first people in the hallway were Will Schuester and Shelby Corcoran, followed closely by the Glee club. They were met with a shocking sight.

Rachel Berry stood in the center of the hallway, arms crossed over her chest and a steely glint back in her eyes as she stared down the shattered goblet, which littered the floor in disarray. Everyone gazed openly at the glass, and then at Rachel, totally disbelieving of what they saw. Sure, Rachel could have diva-outs, but not even she had done something as dramatic as this.

Mr. Schuester was the first to speak. "Rachel?" he asked tentatively. Her head snapped up to gaze at him, and he was startled to see the force of the anger and hurt and pain clouding her face. "Rachel what's the matter?"

Her jaw clenched and unclenched, and she spun around on her heel and for the second time in a matter of minutes, Rachel Berry stormed out in true diva fashion, glass crunching under her flats.

She was done with feeling worthless.


	3. New Directions POV

**A/N: Once again, I am positively blown away the response to this fic. Thank you all so much for your encouraging words and praise!**

**And how about that Regionals episode? Flawless, I say. Simply flawless.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

**New Directions POV**

Mr. Schue ushered everyone back into the choir room once Rachel had stormed out of the school. So much had happened in such a short amount of time—Rachel quit Glee club, something the rest of the club had just barely started filling their teacher in on before Shelby Corcoran turned up. Quinn had paled at the sight of her, jumping up to ask if everything was alright with Beth. Puck had grabbed her wrist and calmed her down, saying he only wanted to talk about seeing Beth. Quinn immediately fired up, stating that he had no right to do that without consulting her. Everyone was unamused with her ranting. What they really wanted to do was talk about Rachel, but before they got a chance, another rang out for the Glee clubbers to hear in a few short minutes.

Mr. Schue yelled for everyone to stay put while he went to check things out. It could have been a terrorist for all they knew. But of course no one listened, so the entire Glee club plus Shelby rushed into the hall. All eyes bugged out of their heads as they spotted Rachel standing in a pile of glass, looking even more hurt than she had a minute earlier. And then Rachel was walking out the front doors. Rachel Berry was walking out the front doors and cutting school. It was something none of them thought they would ever see. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Puck couldn't stop grinning. Who thought Berry could be badass?

Everyone was ushered back into their respective classrooms, and Mr. Schuester stayed outside to speak with Principal Figgins, leaving the Gleeks to slouch in their chairs and Shelby leaning against the piano. No one could bring themselves to speak, even now. They couldn't even look at each other. Some reflected on their relationship with Rachel, wondering if she had ever shown any hurt by their comments. Some just didn't care and were wondering about lunch or a new gymnastics move. One was thinking through all the hiding spots in her house for her diary. She didn't want her cat reading it again.

Mr. Schuester re-entered the choir room, and took one look at the stony faces in front of him before sighing and sitting down on his own chair. It was still silent for a beat, and then Mr. Schue asked, "Does someone want to tell me what's going on with Rachel?" He was staring pointedly at Finn. The two may have been broken up, but the fact remained that he was the one person who knew her best. And if they were to be honest with themselves, he was the only one who had ever tried to get to know her.

Finn shifted uncomfortably in his seat as all attention turned to him. Yeah, being the center of attention could be cool, but only if he was basking in the glow of a really awesome touchdown pass or rocking out a sick beat in Glee. Not when he had to explain that their leader and star had just quit. "Well, Rachel kinda stormed outta the room-" he started, before he was cut off by Santana.

"_There's_ a shock," she said with and eye roll, and while no one laughed, Quinn and Mercedes couldn't help but grin slightly. Even in a situation as serious as this, Santana could always be counted on for a sarcastic comment. And now, they kind of needed it.

Finn glared at Santana before continuing. "Right after she told us she was done with Glee club." That wiped the smiles off everyone's faces.

Mr. Schue gaped at the kids in front of him. "Wait, what? Why?" he asked. He couldn't believe Rachel had decided to do this _now._ Did she have to have her biggest diva freak-out right before Regionals? He looked around at his students with an expectant look on his face. "Will someone explain to me why one of our co-captains decided to quit the club three weeks before the competition?"

And still the kids refused to talk. Will didn't know what had gotten into them. Last time Rachel had quit everyone had been talking over each other, making their views known and generally stating that they didn't have a chance without her. He almost preferred that chaos to this. At least then he knew what was going on.

This time, it was Sam who offered up information. "Rachel found some things on her MySpace page," he said slowly. "Some comments on one of her videos and uh, she didn't take it well." His eyes flicked accusingly towards his head cheerleader girlfriend and her second in command.

"Guys, I know Rachel isn't the most pleasant person to be around, but we need her for Regionals," Mr. Schuester said exasperatedly. "We don't have time to look for a new member."

"So we get her to come back," Mercedes said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Quinn was right; she needs us as much as we need her."

Finn, Mike, and Artie didn't say anything. They had thought Rachel had covered this, but once again everything she said had gone over their friends' heads and they didn't see that changing. They couldn't believe the hypocrisy though.

"Look, I don't see what the fuss is," Santana chimed in. "We clearly don't need Man Hands. I mean, we won Sectionals without having to hear her whiny voice at all." She folded her arms across her chest, daring someone to oppose her.

It was Lauren, unsurprisingly, who did. "Actually, in case you don't recall, we _tied_ at Sectionals, Lopez. Berry may be as annoying as hell, but the chick's got some pipes, and they could've won us Sectionals." She glared at Mr. Schue. Sure, show choir was stupid, but she had joined it which meant she expected to win, but Lauren Zizes didn't do anything stupid without some kind of gain. And as far as she saw it, the loss was Mr. Schuester's fault. He gave away Berry's solo.

Santana rolled her eyes. "RuPaul is not all-freakin'-that. We have plenty of talent without her." She turned and stared incredulously at her fellow Glee clubbers. "You cannot be serious right now. You didn't have any problem laughing at her until she was halfway out the door," she pointed out.

"That was before we knew she actually took it to heart," Tina said quietly, and Mike, Artie, and Mercedes nodded in agreement.

Quinn looked between her sort of friend and the rest of the Glee family. "I'm with Santana on this. We've made it without Rachel before, and we can do it again. And we'll be better for not having to deal with her dramatics."

"I can't believe you," Mike said in disgust. He grabbed Tina's hand and looked to Mercedes, who nodded and grabbed Artie's chair. Together, the four of them exited the room.

Everyone stood again in shock until Brittany piped up, "Can berries speak whale?"


	4. Realization

**A/N: I apologise for taking so long to update. Real life has been really hectic as of late, and I haven't had any time to write. But things seem to be lightening up, so here's to hoping for faster updates!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

Rachel pushed through the doors the next day, and immediately a hush fell over the hallways as the student body noticed her. Her eyes swept over the crowd, and she braced herself before beginning the walk to her locker. People parted to let her by, and she reflected that she was finally getting attention she had always wanted, but it was for all the wrong reasons. Students peeked at her from the corner of their eyes, and whispered hushed rumours about her out of the corners of their mouths.

Reaching her locker, Rachel avoided eye contact with those around her and began pulling the necessary books out of her locker. She didn't notice as four people approached her hesitantly, and only spotted them once she was about to leave for first period.

"Hey Rach," Mercedes said with a careful smile. Rachel turned at the sound of her name, trying not think about the one person who had always called her that. She fixed the four with a glare so cold that Tina actually took a small step back. They had never seen such a look from Rachel, and never had anything of the sort been directed at them. They recovered, and Tina spoke to her next. "We're really sorry about yesterday, Rachel. We didn't know we upset you, but that's no excuse for doing it in the first place. You're right, we're supposed to be a family, but we've left you out of that. And that's wrong. But we're willing to change and talk things out with you if you just came back to Glee," she finished with a hopeful smile. The four teens stood with expectant grins, expecting Rachel to immediately agree.

Rachel was extremely unamused. Where did they get the nerve to treat her like they did, and then come scampering back the next day expecting everything to be perfect again? Well she had learned the hard way that life didn't work out like that. If it did, then she would never have had to work as hard as she did to fix even her smallest mistakes. She wasn't going to let them off as easy. Who cared if she was being petty? It was time that they saw exactly what they made her feel her entire life.

To her ex-teammates extreme chagrin, Rachel turned on her heel and marched off—without saying a word! It was so out of character for Rachel that not one of them could do anything more than exchange uneasy glances with each other before heading off to their classes.

Everyone else noticed a change in Rachel as well. They were all very cautious around her, as if they were afraid she might explode again. But Rachel didn't do anything of the sort. In fact, she didn't speak to anyone all day. She didn't correct anyone in class, didn't excitedly call out answers to teachers' questions, and didn't even participate in group work as well. Instead she chose to speed through it on her own. Her classmates might have once welcomed the change, but now they just found it disconcerting.

Lunch came around, and Mike, Tina, Artie, and Mercedes refused to give up. They were going to sit with Rachel in the cafeteria and they were going to make her talk to them, even if it was just to hear her yell. They sat at a table near the doors, ready to grab her and force her to sit with them if necessary.

However, fifteen minutes into lunch they realized Rachel would not be coming. She was never late for anything, not even school meals, so if she wasn't there then she wouldn't be there at all. They abandoned their seats in a hurry and went through the halls, checking every room for Rachel. They had reached the front of the building when they encountered Shelby Corcoran, of all people.

"Ms. Corcoran?" Artie asked in confusion.

Shelby smiled down at them and said, "Ah you're part of the Glee club aren't you?" They nodded eagerly, still confused to why Rachel's mom had visited their school twice in one day. They all knew, of course, that she had adopted Beth, and they wondered now if Rachel knew. They felt guilty knowing this was a third thing that every one of them in Glee had kept from her. Maybe she did have reason to be mad at them.

"What are you doing here Ms. Corcoran?" Mike asked politely.

"To speak with Noah and Quinn," she sighed. "With all the drama that happened yesterday I didn't get a chance to speak with them." She frowned and eyed them suspiciously. "What was that all about, anyway? What's wrong with Rachel?"

The four teenagers shuffled guiltily in place. "Some of the Cheerios, including the three in Glee club, left some super nasty comments on her MySpace page, and she freaked out on all of us because we sorta…laughed," Mercedes mumbled shamefaced.

Shelby's face turned as cold as Rachel's had earlier, and the Gleeks were startled by the resemblance. Rachel really did take after her mother in some regards, they thought. "You laughed?" she asked, eyes flashing dangerously. "You are supposed to be her friends."

"She doesn't make it easy to be friends with her," Tina spoke up defensively.

"And you're one to talk. _You're_ supposed to be her mother," Mercedes added. No one knew exactly what had happened between Rachel and Shelby, but they knew it must be bad considering Rachel refused to speak of her again after Regionals.

Shelby's face suddenly went blank. "You don't know what you're talking about," she said stiffly. "You don't know the circumstances of our relationship."

"But we do know that you had a chance to be Rachel's mom, and you gave that up to be a mom for Beth," Artie cut in. "Sure she deserves a mom, but doesn't Rachel?"

"You don't understand," Shelby started, sounding almost desperate. "I didn't have a choice in the matter. I was forced to sign that contract—if I had it my way, I would've helped raise her, but I didn't have that option."

Mike was glaring now. "You did have the option to be part of her life. And you threw it away. That's no one's fault but your own."

Shelby looked defeated, but she straightened up again, a steely glint in her eye. "And you had the option not to laugh at my daughter. Yet you did and now she's not in Glee club. _That's_ no one's fault but your own."

Both groups were silenced. They all knew that all the accusations were true. It was time to face them head on and apologize to Rachel—for real. It was quickly decided that they continue searching for her, and together they made their way through the school.

They found her once they reached the auditorium. Of course. They should have known from the start that that is where she would be. They walked through the doors and were about to make their presence known when Brad the pianist began playing, and they stood in silence, waiting.

_Something has changed within me_

_ Something is not the same_

_ I'm through with playing by_

_ The rules of someone else's game_

Rachel's voice filled the auditorium, reverberating off the walls and stunning her unknown spectators.

_Too late for second guessing_

_ Too late to go back to sleep_

_ It's time to trust my instinct_

_ Close my eyes_

_ And leap_

_ It's time to try_

_ Defying gravity_

_ I think I'll try_

_ Defying gravity_

_ And you won't pull me down_

She looked happier than she had in a while, they noted. She was in her element, and she looked more at peace than she did singing in Glee anymore.

_I'm through accepting limits_

_ Cause someone says they're so_

_ Some things I cannot change_

_ But till I try I'll never know!_

_ Too long I've been afraid of_

_ Losing love I guess I've lost_

_ WELL if that's love_

_ It comes at_

_ Much too high a cost!_

_ I'd sooner buy_

_ Defying gravity_

_ Kiss me goodbye_

_ I'm defying gravity_

_ And you won't pull me down_

She paused to catch her breath, and to prepare for the finale that was one day sure to blow thousands of fans away when she preformed it on Broadway.

_So if you care to find me_

_ Look to the western sky_

_ As someone told me lately_

_ Everyone deserves the chance to_

_ Fly!_

_ And if I'm flying solo_

_ At least I'm flying free_

_ To those who'd ground me_

_ Take a message back_

_ From me!_

_ Tell them how I'm_

_ Defying gravity_

_ I'm flying high_

_ Defying gravity_

_ And soon I'll match them in renown_

_ And nobody_

_ In all of Oz_

_ No wizard that there is or was_

_ Is ever gonna bring_

_ Me_

_ Down!_

_ Bring me down!_

_ Ooooh!_

The last note rang through the auditorium, and her small audience stood, enraptured. They all knew one day Rachel would make it, and make it big. Because not only did she have the voice, but she had the determination, the confidence, the presence, the passion, the emotion. And that's why they needed her. They needed her because she brought them all together with her heart and her soul. And because she believed in all of them as well. She believed in all of them while they beat her down over and over. But they knew better now. And they knew that they would do whatever it took to bring her back.

Now if only they could convince the others.

_The song Rachel sang was, of course, Wicked's "Defying Gravity," which I sadly do not own._


	5. Still a Star

**A/N: Dr-dr-dr-drama is headed your way! Anyone else enjoy "Gives You Hell"? I hope you did because here comes a parallel performance for you. Though instead of this being preformed for one member, Rachel is diva-ing out—to all of the members.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

Still a Star

Shelby and the four teenagers stood in awe of Rachel's performance and didn't move for a minute or two. Just as they were about reveal themselves to her, a figure moved in the shadows behind the stage, and Noah Puckerman made himself known. Rachel noticed him over her shoulder, stiffened, and made to leave, but Puck grabbed her wrist and said, "Wait. I just want to talk to you." She hesitated, hesitant and wary of his motives. "I'm not here to try and convince you to come back," he added, seeing her hesitance. She paused one more second, then nodded and sat on the edge of the stage.

"What do you want then, Noah?" Rachel asked quietly. Puck sat down next to her and leaned back on his hands, watching her face intently. Abruptly he asked, "What was up with yesterday?"

Rachel gazed at him disbelievingly. "You and I were both there, Noah, I don't really think that it is necessary to revisit that horrendous scene, do you?" He waved away her words and said, "Not what I meant. We'll get to that later. What I want to know is what was with you in the hallway? 'Cause even though it was kinda badass, you looked like shit," he told her casually.

"Thank you ever so much, Noah," Rachel deadpanned. "You really know how to make a girl feel good about herself." She looked sad and broken and bitter and like she wanted to be anywhere else at the present. Puck wasn't so easy to get rid of though.

"You know that's not what I meant. What happened that you ended up standing in a pile of glass?"

"Why do you even care?" Rachel asked bitterly. "You don't even like me."

"That's not true," he countered. "I meant what I said at Sectionals. I do sorta like you Berry." Puck leaned forward to peer at Rachel's face which was turned away from him. "C'mon, talk to me here. What's up?"

It took a whole two minutes before Rachel responded, but Puck stayed right where he was, a look of uncharacteristic concern on his face.

"Why didn't you tell me about Beth?" Rachel whispered, a single tear leaking out of the corner of her closed eyes. Puck froze. "Did everyone else know?"

Noah struggled for words. "Rachel it's nothing against you, it's just-"

"Did everyone else know?"

After a split second of hesitation, "…Yes. Rach, I'm sorry we just didn't want to hurt you and-"

Rachel jumped to her feet, suddenly furious. "Don't call me that! And what is with you people and lying? The truth has to come out sometime, and it always hurts worse! I can't believe you would all do this to me again! Aren't the insults enough?" she shouted. Her eyes were welling with tears, and all of a sudden she broke down and let the sobs tear through her. Puck still sat on the stage, looking aghast and uncomfortable by her tears.

"Why doesn't anyone want me?" Rachel asked him miserably. "Am I really that unlovable?"

Puck still looked awkward, but pity spread across his features and he moved to rub Rachel's back comfortingly. "That's not true. You're just a really special girl Rachel, and someday soon someone else it gunna smarten up and realize that." He attempted a smile in her direction, and Rachel managed to reciprocate it through her tears.

"Wow Noah, you really are starting to sound like a decent friend and a good, faithful boyfriend," she teased.

He grinned. "Nice try, but I have a woman," he said good naturedly. He looked uncomfortable once more and warned, "Tell anyone about this and I'll deny it." He punched her shoulder lightly and smiled. Rachel chuckled through her tears and got shakily to her feet. Wiping her skirt, she dabbed at her eyes. "I apologize for putting you through what I am sure must have been a terrible inconvenience which unfortunately was also extremely uncomfortable. But I thank you for putting up with this long enough and for finally telling me the truth. Now if you'll excuse me-"

Rachel made to leave the stage hurriedly, but Puck pulled her back again. She stared at him with wide eyes. "Not yet, Rachel. You still need closure."

Rachel arched an eyebrow. "I thought I did that already," she said, confused.

Puck shook his head. "Nope," he said, popping the 'p.' "Let 'em know that you mean this for real."

Rachel still looked confused, so Puck sighed, leaned forward and whispered something in her ear. Rachel's eyes lit up in interest, and she grinned and nodded. "So you'll be at Glee today?" Puck asked for confirmation.

"Most definitely," Rachel replied with a giggle.

They left, and Shelby, Mike, Tina, Artie, and Mercedes exited, feeling just as confused as Rachel had looked a minute ago.

The Glee club congregated after school, all talking over each other, some trying to figure out how to get Rachel back, others trying to figure out who could replace her. Only Puck, Finn, and Brittany didn't participate. One was lost in his thoughts, another was waiting for practice to start, and the other still didn't know where to hide her diary from her cat.

Mr. Schue entered, a steely look on his face. Everyone quieted immediately. Sitting on his stool, Mr. Schue looked at them all before saying, "I checked Rachel's page last night guys. That was really out of line." Here he paused to look pointedly at Quinn and Santana. "And I can't believe the rest of you would laugh at that." He shook his head. "I have never been so disappointed in my life. So today, instead of preparing for Regionals, we are going to spend rehearsal figuring out a way for you to apologize to Rachel and beg her to rejoin us."

"That won't be necessary Mr. Schuester," came a business-like tone from the doorway, and the entire club turned to see Rachel barging through the door. Everyone sighed in relief, excluding two of the Cheerios. "Although if you wanted to give me an apology you should probably include yourself in that," she added.

Ignoring Mr. Schue's astonished look, Rachel stood in front of the Glee club and eyed them coldly. "It has come to my attention that some of you seem to still be under the impression that I am returning to Glee club. In order to dispel rumours of the sort, I have prepared a number for you that will hopefully get the message across. Noah!" She said this all very fast. Puck launched to his feet, grabbed his guitar, and leaned down to hear Rachel's song. He grinned once he heard and starting tuning his guitar. Rachel spoke quietly with the other band members and Brad. She stood back at the front of the room and once everyone seemed ready, Puck began to play, and Rachel sang:

_Na na na na na na na_

_Na na na na na na_

_Na na na na na na na_

_Na na na na na na_

_I guess I just lost my boyfriend_

_I don't know where he went_

She spared but a brief glance in Finn's direction.

_So I'm gonna spend his money_

_I'm not gonna pay his rent_

_I got a brand new attitude and I'm gonna wear it tonight_

_I'm gonna get in trouble_

_I wanna start a fight_

_Na na na na na na na_

_I wanna start a fight_

_Na na na na na na na_

_I wanna start a fight_

_So, so what_

_I'm still a rockstar_

_I got my rock moves_

_And I don't need you_

_And guess what?_

_I'm havin more fun_

_Now that we're done_

_I'm gonna show you_

_Tonight_

_I'm alright_

_I'm just fine_

_And you're a fool_

_So, so what_

_I am a rockstar_

_I got my rock moves_

_And I don't want you tonight_

As always, Rachel commanded the attention of everyone in the room, and though they all wore horrified expressions, they couldn't tear their eyes from her.

_The waiter just took my table_

_And gave it to Jessica Simps-SHIT_

Eyes widened all around the room. Even though they knew she would curse in song it was still a shock to hear it from her mouth.

_I guess I'll go sit with drum boy_

_At least he knows how to hit_

_What if this song's on the radio?_

_Then somebody's gonna die_

_I'm gonna get in trouble_

_My ex will start a fight_

_Na na na na na na na_

_He's gonna start a fight_

_Na na na na na na na_

_Yeah, we're all gonna get in a fight!_

_So, so what_

_I'm still a rock star_

_I got my rock moves_

_And I don't need you_

_And guess what_

_I'm having more fun_

_Now that we're done_

_I'm gonna show you_

_Tonight_

_I'm alright_

_I'm just fine_

_And you're a fool_

_So, so what_

_I am a rock star_

_I got my rock moves_

_And I don't want you tonight_

The music slowed, and as everyone watched Rachel approached Mr. Schuester to sing the next lines to him.

_You weren't there_

_You never were_

_You want it all_

_But that's not fair_

She turned back to sing the next part to everyone.

_I gave you life_

_I gave my all_

_You weren't there_

_You let me fall_

_So, so what_

_I'm still a rock star_

_I got my rock moves_

_And I don't need you_

_And guess what_

_I'm having more fun_

_Now that we're done_

_I'm gonna show you_

_Tonight_

_I'm alright_

_I'm just fine_

_And you're a fool_

_So, so what_

_I am a rock star_

_I got my rock moves_

_And I don't want you tonight_

_No no_

_No no_

_I don't want you tonight_

_You weren't there_

_I'm gonna show you_

_Tonight_

_I'm alright_

_And you're a fool_

_So, so what_

_I am a rock star_

_I got my rock moves_

_And I don't want you tonight!_

The song finished, and with a smirk, Rachel swept out of the room.

Puck grinned at their astounded faces and chuckled, "And the badass keeps coming."

_Song is "So What" by P!nk._


	6. Confrontations

**A/N: I am incredibly sorry for not updating sooner. You would not believe how extraordinarily busy I've been. And then my muse left. Not the greatest thing to happen. That's incredibly embarrassing for me, but I am extremely sorry because I really enjoy this story and I'd hate to disappoint you wonderful people who are reviewing and adding this story and me to your favourites and alerts. Thank you so much to anyone who waited for this and I hope it doesn't disappoint. I should be better with updating as of now.**

Confrontations

"Rach! Rachel, wait!" a voice called after her. Rachel spun around to see Finn running after her. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot, waiting impatiently for him to catch up. He stopped just close enough for it to be uncomfortable, and the two glanced away in opposite directions.

"What do you want, Finn?" Rachel asked flatly. She did not want to have the first conversation with her ex _now _of all times, and certainly not what it was sure to be about. She just wanted to go home and push away the empty feeling inside.

"You can't keep storming off like that," he said eventually. "'S'not gonna solve anything. Can't we just talk?" He seemed to be almost pleading with her.

Rachel looked at him coldly. She could not believe he even had the gall to ask that. After all that club had put her through, they should at least let her have her storm offs. Besides, she was practically known for her diva fits and storming out. It wasn't like this was anything new.

"I don't see why anyone would want to talk _now,_" she replied snidely. "No one's ever cared about what I have to say before."

"That's not true!" Finn said angrily. "I care, and like, half the people in Glee do too." Rachel rolled her eyes.

"That half only wants me to come back to Glee, and only for my voice. They don't really care about what I have to say. Don't try to deny it," Rachel cut him off, seeing he was about to interrupt. "You know it's true. And besides," she added softly. "You don't have the right to care about me anymore. Not since you broke my heart."

"You broke my heart first," Finn countered smoothly. "But we're not talking about that right now. We're talking about the fact that you're acting like a child. Believe it or not, some of us actually want to talk to you to try and fix this crap because we're your friends."

Rachel shook her head. "No, you're not," she said quietly, tears welling up in her eyes and threatening to spill over. No. She would not cry in front of him. She had done enough crying over him, over New Directions, and over Shelby, and she was so over it. "If you were, you would have defended me at Sectionals when Santana said people only pretended to like me. But you didn't. No one did. No one but Noah." Rachel knew it was a low blow, and found sick pleasure in seeing Finn wince. By this point, the rest of Glee had gathered quietly at the door to listen in on their conversation. "The facts are that no one has ever liked me for more than my voice, and not even that all the time. I was a fool for thinking otherwise and it would be best if we just forgot about this whole ordeal-forgot about me ever being in Glee," she whispered brokenly.

No one knew what to say to that. Most of them knew, deep down, parts of it were true, and they couldn't believe they had ever thought that way. A couple didn't care. But the ones that did felt their hearts breaking at the destroyed look this poor girl in front of them wore, and they felt shamed that they had helped put it there.

It was gone in a second. The look had been replaced by the cold exterior she had been putting up as of late and she sneered, "Can I go now? Or is my leaving to childish for you?"

Jaw clenched, Finn nodded and Rachel stalked away. He turned dejectedly back towards his fellow Glee Clubers and shrugged. Mr. Schue reached out and patted him consolingly on the back. And still no one talked. No one knew what to say to make anyone feel better, or fix the situation they had put themselves in.

Suddenly, Brittany spoke up. "Why is Rachel sad? I don't like seeing her sad. She has a pretty smile. We're her friends, we should make her smile."

It didn't hit all of them right away. But the ones it did grinned widely. For someone they considered a dumb blonde, Brittany sure could be smart.

**A/N: Sorry not to have more, but I wanted to update! Next chapter-we learn what Brittany's seemingly brilliant yet glaringly obvious plan is. Also, Kurt makes his first appearance! Stay tuned!**


	7. Ideas and Solutions

**A/N: So I wouldn't be totally surprised if you all hated me for the huge wait between updates. Real life has hit hard the past couple months and I lost some inspiration, but reading back through this story and still seeing people reading this and have it on alert and all have started to bring it all back. I really hope this chapter is quality enough to make up for the long wait, and maybe it deserves reviews? Well, we'll see! And obviously this is so grossly AU now, if it wasn't before, but I still hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

Ideas and Solutions

As Mr. Schuester climbed the stairs of the bleachers, he couldn't help but recall the time last year when he had found himself climbing these very steps, about to talk to the same girl, and in almost the same situation. Yet at the same time, so much had changed between then and now. This time, for instance, the small brunette girl didn't even notice her teacher walking up towards her. Mr. Schue sat down behind her, looking over the football field for a moment before speaking. "A lot's changed since we last sat here."

He saw her stiffen as he spoke, though she did not look up. "It has," she agreed, which surprised him. "I have a friend, who up until a few weeks ago hated me and now goes to school two hours away. I've had three boyfriends, not just one. The first, at the time, only wanted in my pants. The second only thought I was worth meeting because the mother who abandoned me asked him to, and proceeded to publicly humiliate me and break up with me by cracking eggs over my head. And the third…the third didn't think I was worthy of the truth and ripped my heart right out of my chest. The only thing that hasn't changed is that I still get a slushy to the face every day." All this was said with a bitter and sarcastic tone to her voice that Mr. Schue hadn't ever heard from this student before. This wasn't something that just came out of nowhere. No, Rachel must've been feeling like this for a while. How could he have been so oblivious?

After a moment's silence, he asked, "Why'd you quit?" He heard her scoff. "You really have to ask?" Shaking her head, she continued, "I'm tired of being somewhere I'm clearly not wanted."

"That's not tr-" He began to insist, but Rachel turned, cutting him off, and Schue was startled to see that she was crying. He had seen Rachel cry on occasion, but never did she look as heartbroken as she did then. There was a deep pain there; one Rachel had hidden from everyone for longer than he care to knew. Offhandedly, he thought she would be an amazing actress, having kept something like this hidden for so long. But then that was never really in question.

"It is true!" she exclaimed. "It's true, and I can't help if you're too blind to see it. Everyone in there _hates _me Mr. Schue. Including you."

"I don't hate you Rachel," Schue protested. He was aghast that she could even think that. Sure she was difficult to be around sometimes, and yes, maybe he got frustrated with her a bit, but to hate her? That was absurd. Rachel pursed her lips, shaking her head. "Then why do I still get slushied every day without teachers doing anything about it? Why are they allowed to send me hateful comments over the internet about me and my dads? Why are they allowed to talk to me like that, but whenever I try to stand up for myself I get reprimanded for the way I speak to them? Why is it that all my hard work and dedication I put towards that club never get recognized? If you don't hate me Mr. Schuester, _then why do you act like you do?_"

Mr. Schue was taken aback by Rachel's words. She had freely made her opinion known on several occasions, but she had never spoken to him like she did now, and he found himself disconcerted by this new Rachel. Or was this the Rachel she'd been all along, carefully and cleverly hidden behind the walls she put up? Deep down, Schue knew that wasn't true. This was only the girl who had been pushed and pushed until she cracked, and was then forced to deal with the pieces. For the first time, he was surprised to find himself wishing for the old Rachel back. Even though that Rachel tended to annoy the absolute hell out him, that was also the Rachel who drove him to be a better Will. That was the Rachel's whose determination, drive, ambition, reminded him of what he lost out of college, of the dreamer he once was. Her passion was the reason he remembered why he wanted to be a teacher, and it had helped him regain some of his own passion.

"Come back to Glee, Rachel. Everyone misses you," he tried, after finding no way to respond to her previous statement. Rachel rolled her eyes again. "They miss my voice. And they've even started getting sick of that." Standing, Rachel swung her bag over her shoulder. "I don't want to be somewhere I'm not wanted. I'm tired of being laughed at all the time. It hurts too much."

And with that, Rachel left Mr. Schuester sitting on the bleachers, quietly reflecting on all that had been said, and thinking that just maybe not as much had changed as he had originally thought.

At the same time Mr. Schue was attempting to talk to Rachel, the rest of the Glee club was holding a meeting in the choir room.

"Look, Brittany was right," Mercedes said. "We're supposed to be Rachel's friends. So maybe if we act like it, without bringing up Glee, she can get over all this and we might have a chance of convincing her to come back."

Finn and Puck just stared at her incredulously while Santana scoffed from her seat. "Oh, please. I don't understand why you all think we need the Hobbit anyways. Personally, I think that if we just ignore her long enough she'll find her way back to the Shire, and that way everyone's better off."

"Will you cut it out, Santana?" Finn shot at her through gritted teeth. The Latina just rolled her eyes at him before turning her back, leaving everyone else to glance awkwardly between the mismatched couple.

Mercedes tried to regain control. "We need her, Santana, if not to fill in the last spot in the group. I, for one, am not taking chances this close to Regionals. We need someone who we know can keep up with us, and Rachel is the only one who fits that description. All we gotta do is make her think that we can all get along with her and just keep it up once we get her back."

Not able to believe what they were hearing, Puck and Finn exchanged looks before getting to their feet, Puck pulling Lauren along with him.

"And just where do you three think you're going?" Quinn asked snarkily. Finn shot her a cold look before answering, "Anywhere away from here. Rachel deserves a lot more than fake friends, and I'm not going to be a part of your disguided attempts to try and win her over."

"Misguided," Artie corrected, but Finn just waved him off. "Point is," he continued. "Rachel deserves real friends, and if you can't even respect her decisions, then you guys are not the kind of people she needs in her life. C'mon guys," he muttered to Puck and Lauren, and they left the room, Puck shooting a dirty look over his shoulder, leaving the rest of the club wondering why the hell everyone was acting so strange all of a sudden.

Glancing over the lid of his coffee cup, Kurt asked, "So you just basically told him you weren't talking his crap anymore and marched off?"

Setting her own cup down, Rachel sighed. She had met up with Kurt after the tumultuous meeting with Mr. Schuester and recounted all the details of the last few days. The exchange had drained her, and she didn't know if she'd be able to keep up with Kurt today. "You probably think I made a huge mistake, don't you? You think I should have just sucked it up and talked it out, right?" Shaking his head, he replied, "Now I never said that."

Rachel looked up, somewhat surprised, and gestured for him to continue. Letting out a sigh of his own, Kurt leaned forward and said, "They may be my friends Rachel, but so are you. And if you don't feel safe in an environment, physically or emotionally, you shouldn't stay there. And if you think quitting Glee club is what's best for you, then I am behind your crazy diva ass."

Rachel was speechless. It had been so long since anyone had said something like that for her that it was almost too good to be true. A moment later, she leaned across the table herself, pulling her friend into a hug, whispering a thank you into his ear. Pulling back, they merely smiled at each other before moving on. Nothing more needed to be said.

"So, ah, how's Dalton? What's it like going to private school?" Rachel asked curiously. Shrugging, Kurt replied, "A lot different than McKinley, that's for sure. It was definitely hard adjusting to the uniforms. I thought I was going to die at the lack of expression, but there's a certain style to the blazers." Rachel laughed. Leave it to Kurt to pick on the uniform first and foremost. "But I like it. It's certainly more difficult than McKinley ever was, academically, but it keeps me challenged. And…everyone's nice. I think that was the biggest change. The Warblers…we're like rock stars, royalty. And there's a no bullying policy. It's…everything I've wished for."

Leaning back in her chair, Rachel gazed at Kurt thoughtfully. A Glee club that's treated like royalty, and a no bullying policy? It seemed like a dream come true. "Didn't you once say Dalton has a sister school?" she asked casually.

Thinking quickly, Kurt nodded. "Yeah, Crawford Country Day. It's pretty much the same as Dalton, but it's an all girls' school. Why?"  
Trying to stay nonchalant, Rachel said, "No reason. Just curious." It seemed to her as Kurt had just given her a potential answer to her problems…

**A/N: I was going to add more to this chapter, but I really liked how this ended, so I'll pick things up in the next one. Sorry again for the long wait, I'm sure it won't happen again! Hope this made up for it a bit!**


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